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EQUESTRIANISM

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Equestrianism relates to the riding of horses. This broad description includes both riding horses for practical purposes such as in police work or for controlling herd animals on a ranch, as well as recreational activities and competitive sports such as riding sports, carriage driving, dressage, endurance racing, eventing, horseball, paraequestrianism, reining, show jumping, show hunter, tent pegging, vaulting, and polo. Other horse riding sports include horse-racing, fox hunting, rodeo events such as barrel racing and team roping, pole bending, flag racing, and countless Horse show classes, including "pleasure" classes, equitation, trail class, showmanship, park, English pleasure, country English pleasure, saddle seat equitation, jousting, and cavalry. Often, horses are used for recreational riding (also called trail riding or hacking). Recreational riders often hunt, pack, and camp using horses, mules, and donkeys. There is public access to horse trails in almost every part of the world; and many parks, ranches, and barns offer both guided and independent trail riding.

In former times equestrianism was closely associated with the military: medieval knights were equestrians, as were their military successors, the cavalry. However, the horse and horseback riding have had an important part in all times and places, from the times of the Roman empire, to medieval knights, to Genghis Khan and his armies, to the streets of London, to the farms and frontiers of the United States, to the luxury barns and fast-paced horse show world of today.

Contents

Horse racing

Humans have always had a desire to know which horse (or horses) could move the fastest, so horse-racing has ancient roots. Today, several categories of racing exist:

Races subject to formal gambling

Under saddle:

  1. Thoroughbred flat racing; (under the aegis of the Jockey Club in the United Kingdom and the Jockey Club of North America)
  2. Thoroughbred National Hunt racing or steeplechasing in the UK
  3. Quarter Horse Racing--mostly in the United States, and sanctioned there by the American Quarter Horse Association.
  4. Appaloosa Horse Racing
  5. Arabian Horse Racing

In harness:

  1. The United States Trotting Association organizes harness Racing in the United States (although the horses may also pace)
  2. Harness Racing in Europe, New Zealand and Australia

Amateur races without gambling

  1. Endurance riding, a sport in which the Arabian dominates at the top level, has become very popular in the United States and in Europe. The American Endurance Ride Conference organizes the sport in North America. Endurance races take place over a given, measured distance and the horses have an even start. Races begin at 20 miles and peak at 100 miles. Note especially the Tevis Cup.
  2. Ride and Tie (in North America, organized by Ride and Tie Association). Ride and Tie involves three equal partners: two humans and one horse. The humans alternately run and ride.

Thoroughbreds have a pre-eminent reputation as a racing breed, but Arabians, Quarter Horses, and Appaloosas also race on the flat in the United States. Quarter Horses traditionally raced for a quarter mile, hence the name. Steeplechasing involves racing on a track where the horses also jump over obstacles. It occurs most commonly in the United Kingdom. Standardbred trotters and pacers race in harness with a sulky or racing bike. In France they also race under saddle.

Show Sports

There is a wide variety of competition seen at horse shows throughout the world. However, there are a number of classic disciplines seen in many countries, and some competitors seek out new events for competition, often looking to other cultures and styles for inspiration.

Traditional Olympic disciplines

The following forms of competition are recognized worldwide and are a part of the Equestrian Events at the Olympics:

  • Dressage ("training" in French) involves the progressive training of the horse to a high level of impulsion, collection, and obedience. Competitive dressage has the goal of showing the horse carrying out, on request, the natural movements that it performs without thinking while running loose. One dressage master has defined it as "returning the freedom of the horse while carrying the rider."
  • Show jumping comprises a timed event judged on the ability of the horse and rider to jump over a series of obstacles, in a given order and with the fewest refusals or knockdowns of portions of the obstacles. At the Grand Prix level fences may reach a height of as much as 6 feet. Puissance classes involve the largest fences of all, sometimes exceeding 7 feet.
  • Eventing, also called combined training, horse trials, "three-day event," "the Military," or "the complete test," puts together the obedience of dressage with the athletic ability of show jumping, the fitness demands of an endurance phase (also known as "roads and tracks") and the "cross-country" jumping phase. In the last-named, the horses jump over fixed obstacles, unlike show jumping, where the majority of the obstacles will fall down or apart if hit by the horse. In British Eventing, there was also the 'Steeple Chase' Phase, which is now excluded from most major competitions to bring them in line with the Olympic standard.

The "English" disciplines in the United States

In addition to the classical Olympic events, the following forms of "English" style equestrian competition are also seen in the USA:

  • Hunt seat or Hunter classes judge the movement and the form of horses suitable for work over fences, known as show hunters. A typical hunter division would include classes over fences as well as "Hunter under Saddle" or "flat" classes (sometimes called "hack" classes), in which the horse is judged on its performance, manners and movement without having to jump. Hunters have a long, flat-kneed trot, sometimes called "daisy cutter" movement, a phrase suggesting a good hunter could slice daisies in a field when it reaches its stride out. The over fences classes in Hunter competition are judged on the form of the horse, its manners and the smoothness of the course. A horse with good jumping form snaps its knees up and jumps with a good bascule. It should also be able to canter or gallop with control while having a stride long enough to make a proper number of strides over a given distance between fences.
  • Saddle seat (sometimes called "Park" riding), a primarily American discipline, was created to show to best advantage the extravagantly animated movement of high-stepping and gaited breeds such as the American Saddlebred and the Tennessee Walker. Some Arabians and Morgans are also shown saddle seat in the United States.
  • Equitation refers to those classes where the position of the rider is judged rather than the horse.
  • Pleasure classes refer to events on the flat where the horse's manners, performance (form and movement), and quality are judged.

"Western" riding

Western riding evolved from the cattle-working and warfare traditions brought to the Americas by the Spanish Conquistadors, and both equipment and riding style evolved to meet the working needs of the cowboy in the American West. American cowboys needed to work long hours in the saddle over rough terrain, sometimes needing to rope cattle with a lariat (or lasso). Because of the necessity to control the horse with one hand and use the lariat with the other, western horses were trained to neck rein, that is, to change direction with light pressure of a rein against the horse's neck. Horses were also trained to exercise a certain degree of independence in using their natural instincts to follow the movements of a cow, thus a riding style developed that emphasized a deep, secure seat, and training methods encouraged a horse to be responsive on very light rein contact.

The needs of the cowboy's job required different tack than was used in "English" disciplines. Covering long distances, and working with half-wild cattle, frequently at high speeds in very rough, brushy terrain, meant the ever-present danger of a rider becoming unseated in an accident miles from home and support. Thus, the most noticable equipment difference is in the saddle, which has a heavy and substantial tree (traditionally made of wood) to absorb the shock of roping. The western saddle features a prominent pomnel surmounted by a horn (a big knob for snubbing the lasso after roping an animal), a deep seat and a high cantle. Depending on the local geography, tapaderos ("taps") cover the front of the stirrups to prevent brush from catching in the stirrups. The cowboy's boots, which have pointed toes, higher heels than a traditional boot slightly sloped under the foot, are designed to prevent the rider's foot from slipping through the stirrup during a fall, preventing the rider being dragged. To allow for communication with the horse even with a loose rein, the bridle also evolved. The biggest difference between "English" and "Western" bridles is the bit. Most "Western" horses are expected to eventually perform in a curb bit with a single pair of reins that has somewhat longer and looser shanks than the curb of an English Weymouth bridle or a pelham bit. Two styles of Western reins developed: The long split reins of the Texas tradition, which are completely separated, or the closed-end "Romal" reins of the California tradition, which have a long single attachment on the ends that can be used as a quirt.

Though the differences in equipment appear dramatic, fewer differences between "English" and Western riding exist than most people think. Both styles require riders to have a solid seat, with the hips and shoulders balanced over the feet, with hands independent of the seat so as to avoid jerking the horse in the mouth and interfering with its performance.

The clothing of the Western rider differs from that of the dressage or "English" rider. Practical Western attire consists of a long-sleeved work shirt, denim jeans, boots, and a wide-brimmed hat. Usually a rider wears protetive leather leggings called "chaps" (pronounced with a soft "s" sound--from the Spanish chaparajos) to help the rider stick to the saddle and to protect the legs when riding through brush. Clean, well-fitting work clothing is the usual outfit seen in rodeo, cutting and reining competitions, especially for men, though sometimes in brighter colors or finer fabrics.

Other events may use flashier equipment. Unlike the English traditions where clothing and tack is quiet and unobtrusive, Western show equipment is intended to draw attention. Saddles, bits and bridles are frequently ornamented with substantial amounts of silver. The rider's shirt is often replaced with a jacket, and women's clothing in particular may feature vivid colors and even, depending on current fads, rhinestones or sequins. Hats and chaps are often color-coordinated, spurs and belt buckles are often silver-plated, and women's scarf pins and men's bolo ties are also ornamented with silver or even semi-precious gemstones.

Competitions exist in the following forms:

  • Western pleasure - the rider must show the horse together with other horses in an arena at a walk, jog (a slow, controlled trot), and lope (a slow, controlled canter). In some breed competitions, a judge may ask for a gallop, and (rarely) an extended trot. The horse must remain under control on a loose rein, with low head carriage, the rider directing the horse with nearly invisible aids and minimal interference. With an emphasis on slow speeds and great control, pleasure classes can be quite large, with USEF rules only requiring a class to be divided if there are more than 50 horses in the ring at the same time.
  • Reining - considered by some the "dressage" of the western riding world, with status as a new international sport at the World Equestrian Games, reining requires horse and rider to perform a precise pattern consisting of circles at a lope and gallop with flying changes of lead, rapid "spins" (a turn in one spot on the haunches), "rollbacks" (a rapid turn immediately followed by a gallop in the opposite direction) and the crowd-pleasing sliding stop (executed from a full gallop).
  • Cutting - this event highlights the "cow sense" prized in stock breeds such as the American quarter horse. The horse and rider select and separate a cow (or steer) out of small herd of 10-20 animals. The cow inevitably tries to return to its herdmates; the rider loosens the reins and leaves it entirely to the horse to keep the cow from returning to the herd, a job the best horses do with relish, savvy, and style. Depending on the level of competition, one to three judges award points to each competitor.
  • Team penning: a timed event in which a team of 3 riders must select 3 to 5 marked steers out of a herd and drive them into a small pen. The catch: riders cannot close the gate to the pen till they have corralled all the cattle (and only the intended cattle) inside. The fastest team wins, and teams exceeding a given time limit are disqualified.
  • Trail class: in this event, the rider has to maneuver the horse through an obstacle course in a ring. Horses must cross bridges, logs and other obstacles; stand quietly while a rider waves a flapping object around the horse; move sideways, often with front and rear feet on either side or a rail; make 90 and 180 degree turns while moving backwards, open and close a gate while mounted, and other maneuvers relevant (sometimes distantly) to everyday ranch or trail riding. While speed isn't judged, horses have a limited amount of time to complete each obstacle and can be penalized for exceeding the alloted time.
  • Halter - here the horse is shown in a halter by a handler controlling the horse from the ground using a lead rope. In regular halter competition, also sometimes called "conformation" or "breeding" classes, the conformation of the horse is judged, with emphasis on the both the movement and build of the horse.
  • Halter Showmanship - In showmanship classes the performance of the handler is judged, as well as the cleanliness and grooming of horse, equipment and handler, with the behavior of the horse also considered part of the handler's responsibility. The competetor is judged on his or her ability to present the halter horse to its best advantage. The horse is taken through a short pattern where the horse and handler must set up the horse correctly at a standstill and exhibit full control while at a walk, jog, turning and often backing up. Clothing of the handlers tend to parellel that of western pleasure competition. Halters are often leather ornamented with silver. Showmanship classes are particularly popular with children who do not yet have the skill or confidence to succeed in riding events.

Rodeo competition

Main article: Rodeo Rodeo events include the following forms of competition;

  • Barrel racing and pole bending - the timed speed/agility events seen more in rodeo as well as gymkhana or O-Mok-See competition. While both men and women can compete in gymkhana or O-Mok-See, in rodeo, barrel racing is an exclusively women's sport. In a barrel race, horse and rider gallop around a cloverleaf pattern of barrels, making agile turns without knocking the barrels over. In pole bending, horse and rider run the length of a line of six upright poles, turn sharply and weave through the poles, turn again and weave back, then return to the start.
  • Steer wrestling - Also known as "Bulldogging," this is a rodeo event where the rider jumps off his horse onto a steer and 'wrestles' it to the ground by grabbing it by the horns. This is probably the single most physically dangerous event in rodeo for the cowboy, who runs a high risk of jumping off a running horse head first and missing the steer, or of having the thrown steer land on top of him, sometimes horns first.
  • Roping - these events are based on the real-life tasks of a working cowboy, who often had to capture calves and adult cattle for branding, medical treatment and other purposes. A lasso or lariat is thrown over the head of a calf or the horns of adult cattle, and the animal is secured in a fashion dictated by its size and age.
  • Calf Roping - A calf is roped around the neck, the horse stops and sets back on the rope while the cowboy dismounts, runs to the calf, throws it to the ground and ties three feet together. (If the horse throws the calf, the cowboy must lose time waiting for the calf to get back to its feet so that the cowboy can do the work. The job of the horse is to hold the calf steady on the rope) This activity is still practiced on modern working ranches for branding, medical treatment, and so on.
  • Team roping, also called "heading and heeling," is the only rodeo event where men and women riders compete together. Two people capture and restrain a full-grown steer. One horse and rider, the "header," lassos a running steer's horns, while the other horse and rider, the "heeler," lassos the steer's two hind legs. Once the animal is captured, the riders face each other and lightly pull the steer between them, so that it loses its balance, thus in the real world allowing restraint for treatment.
  • Breakaway roping - an easier form of calf roping where a very short lariat is used, tied lightly to the saddle horn with string and a flag. When the calf is roped, the horse stops, allowing the calf to run on, flagging the end of time when the string and flag breaks from the saddle. In the United States, this event is primarily for women of all ages and boys under 12, while in some nations where traditional calf roping is frowned upon, riders of both genders compete.
  • Bronc riding - there are two divisions in rodeo, bareback bronc riding, where the rider is only allowed to hang onto a bucking horse with a surcingle, and saddle bronc riding, where the rider is allowed a specialized western saddle without a horn (for safety) and may hand onto a heavy lead rope attached to a halter on the horse. In spite of popular myth, most modern "broncs" are not in fact wild horses, but are more commonly spoiled riding horses or horses bred specifically as bucking stock.

Two related rodeo events do not involve horses, but are a part of traditional competition:

  • Bull Riding - though technically not an equestrian event, as the cowboys ride full-grown bulls instead of horses, skills similar to bareback bronc riding are required.
  • Goat tying - usually an event for women and pre-teen boys, a goat is staked out while a mounted rider runs to the goat, dismounts, grabs the goat, throws it to the ground and ties it in the same manner as a calf. This event was designed to teach smaller or younger riders the basics of calf roping without the more complex need to also lasso the animal.

Haute école

Main Article: Classical dressage

The haute école (F. "high school"), also sometimes referred to as Classical dressage, is a highly refined set of skills seldom used in competition but often seen in demonstration performances.

Leading haute école démonstration teams include:

Other horse sports

  • Bullfighting (rejoneo)
  • Tent pegging
  • Driving, traditionally a buggy, carraige or wagon pulled by a single horse or tandem (team of horses). Some contemporary driving competitions are based on traversing obstacles at speed. Pleasure competitions are judged on the turnout/neatness of horse and buggy.
  • Charreada, the highest form of Mexican horsemanship based on a mixture of Spanish and Native traditions.
  • Fox hunting
  • Horse hacking
  • Horse show
  • Jousting
  • Hunter Pacing or Competitive Trail Riding, sports where a horse and rider team travel a trail at speeds based the ideal conditions for the horse, with competitors seeking to ride closest to that perfect time. Hunter paces are usually held in a series. Hunter paces are usually a few miles long and covered mostly at a canter or gallop. Competitive Trail Rides are usually up to 30 miles, often over mountainous terrain, using all gaits, but especially the trot. The horsemanship and management skills of the rider are also considered in the scoring, and periodic stops are required for veterinarians to check the vital signs and overall soundness of the horses.
  • Polo, a team game played on horseback, involves riders using a long-handled mallet to drive a ball on the ground into the opposing team's goal while the opposing team defends their goal.
  • Rapa das bestas
  • Reining
  • Rodeo
  • Chilean rodeo
  • Dressage
  • Le Trec, orienteering on horseback - consists of three stages covering orienteering, negotiation of obstacles and control of paces.
  • Show Jumping
  • Trail Riding, The art and sport of riding any breed horse, any style across the land. It is important for trail riders to know which areas are safe and which allow horses to cross.
  • Endurance riding, a competition usually of 50 to 100 miles or more, over mountainous or other natural terrain, with scheduled stops to take the horses' vital signs, check soundness, and verify that the horse is fit to continue. The first horse to finish and be confirmed by the veterinarian as fit to continue is the winner. Additional awards are usually given to the best-conditioned horses who finish in the top 10.
  • Cross Country Jumping, a jumping course that contains logs, and natural obstacles mostly. The common clothes worn are usually brighter colors and less conservative.
  • 3-Day Eventing- a competition where you are judged on your total score from a day of dressage, stadium jumping and cross country
  • Polocrosse
  • Campdrafting
  • Vaulting (gymnastics and dance on horseback)
  • Steeplechase
  • Gymkhana also known as O-Mok-See

Criticism of horses in sport

Most animal rights groups such as the Humane Society of the United States and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which advocate against animal ownership, target wilder horse "sports", with claims of animal cruelty. Horse racing and rodeo are more easily targeted because of their extensive use of animals in sport. It is difficult for people to differentiate between normal equine abilities and actual abuse.

One problem is a disagreement about terms like abuse. Animal rights activists have a strict idea of what animal abuse is, and prefer nothing is done against the will of the animal in question.

Many people are less concerned with the free will of horses, and are worried that sports may cause injuries to horse athletes, just as they do for human athletes. Those in favor of using horses in sport point out that horses in nature are injured much more often and more severely than those in sport. This brings a dilemma: If a horse gets an injury while competing, is this immoral? If a horse slips in its pasture while playing, is this OK? Animal rights activists believe that the injury in a pasture is self-inflicted and natural, where as injuries from sport are forced upon horses by humans, and an unnecessary part of the horse's life, making injury from sport immoral.

Rodeos claim that an injured horse is less profitable than a healthy horse. Activists claim rodeos turn a blind eye to minor injuries which do not impair performance. They also cite psychological harm, poor living conditions, forced breeding, and the killing of unprofitable horses as forms of abuse. Many horse owners that compete in sports, however, do not force-breed, kill unprofitable horses, or have poor living conditions for their horses. Contradictory evidence is often provided by opposing sides, which may lead one to believe that while select few horse breeders can be considered inhumane, the majority are not. Sports like rodeo and racing are closely monitored by veterinarians to prevent and treat injuries if they occur. Animal living conditions vary, but many rodeo stock live on open ranches when not working on the weekend. Horse professionals claim they know better what is best for horses than rights activists that live horseless lives and are easily influenced by propaganda. Rights activists claim that horse professionals are biased on the matter of what is best for horses for their own personal gains.

Many horse owners are interested in the well being and welfare of horses, and are allied with animal rights advocates and animal welfare advocates in believing that genuine abuse of horses should end.

See also

External links